The World's Greatest
by shannyfish
Summary: Takes place after "A Breed Apart". Gabriel is after Mutant X. Brennan/ Shalimar.
1. Adam's Children

Disclaimer:I do not own Mutant X, Marvel and Tribune do. I also do not own "The World's Greatest," R. Kelly does.  
  
Mutant X  
"The World's Greatest"  
Chapter 1  
  
  
  
I am a mountain, I am a tall tree, oh  
I am a swift wind sweepin' the country  
I am a river down in the valley, oh  
I am a vision and I can see clearly  
  
If anybody asks you who I am  
Just stand up tall  
Look 'em in the face and say  
  
I'm that star up in the sky  
I'm that mountain peak up high  
Hey, I made it  
I'm the world's greatest  
And I'm that little bit of hope  
When my back's against the ropes  
I can feel it  
I'm the world's greatest  
  
I am a giant, I am an eagle, oh  
I am a lion, down in the jungle  
I am a marchin' band, I am the people, oh  
I am a helping hand, I am a hero  
  
  
  
The members of Mutant X were just hanging out in Sanctuary after having to deal with Gaberiel Ashlock. Adam was in his lab like always, Brennan and Shalimar were talking together in the garden area, and Jesse and Emma were having a snack. It had been a week since they had been out in the field. Adam had tried to keep all of them at Sanctuary. He didn't want to give Gaberiel a chance to nab Shalimar again or any of the others.   
  
  
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In the lab Adam was running computer simulations on the last sample he had collected from Gaberiel before he was put in a stasis pod. He was trying to find a flaw...a weakness...anything. Anything that would keep the four children he was connected to safe. Jesse, Shalimar, Brennan, and Emma were like his children and he wasn't about to let the first New Mutant that he helped create at Genomex destroy the lives of the people he loved. He would keep looking until he found something...anything...  
  
  
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"So what do you think about this whole Adam thing?" Brennan asked Shalimar.  
  
"What Adam thing?" Shalimar asked confused.  
  
"The thing sbout Adam made the stasis pods and the subdermal governors."  
  
"So, he did it to keep Gaberiel from hurting anyone, he didn't know that Eckhart was going to take over Genomex and use them against any New Mutant he could get his hands on," Shalimar explained.  
  
"I know, it's just weird."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because...I don't know it just is. Sometimes I wonder what life would be like..."  
  
"Without our powers?"  
  
"Sometimes."  
  
"I thought about it seriously once."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"And it would be weird not being a New Mutant. Brennan, what's wrong?"  
  
"Me. I shouldn't have let Gaberiel take you..."  
  
"Brennan, you did your best."  
  
"Did I?"  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"I could have killed Emma when she came with me to see Matty Conlan, remember."  
  
"Brennan. Stop!...We're fine," Shalimar said taking his face between her hands and making him look strait at her. "I'm fine. Emma's fine." Shalimar kissed Brennan gently, and Brennan put his hand behind her head and pulled her in for a deeper kiss. Just then, Shalimar went limp in Brennan's arms.  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
Jesse and Emma were snacking on some strawberries when they heard Brennan yell for help. They quickly rushed to the garden area where they found Brennan holding a lifeless looking Shalimar. "What happened?" Jesse asked.  
  
"She just went limp. I don't know what happened."  
  
"Let's get her to the lab," Emma suggested.  
  
Brennan cradled Shalimar in his arms and headed quickly to the lab with Emma and Jesse following close behind. When they entered the lab Brennan laid Shalimar down on the examining chair. They found Adam asleep at his consol. "Adam, wake up," Emma waking Adam up.  
  
"What happened?" Adam asked quickly.  
  
"Nothing, she just collapsed," Brennan explained.  
  
"WHAT were you DOING when or rather before she collapsed?"  
  
"We were just talking and then..."  
  
"Then what?"  
  
"We kissed," Brennan told him and immediately received looks from all of them.  
  
"Let's start scans, Emma." 


	2. Adam's Secret

Disclaimer:I do not own Mutant X, Tribune does.   
  
  
Mutant X  
"The World's Greatest"  
Chapter 2  
  
  
Shalimar had remained unconscious all through the night and Adam continued working through the night. He wouldn't let Gabriel hurt them. Emma, Brennan, and Jesse had decided to hang out in the dojo in case Shalimar woke up. So, they decided to chat about recent events. "So, why were you two doing KISSING?" Jesse asked curiously.  
  
"Why does it matter?" Brennan asked.  
  
"Because Shalimar's my friend."  
  
"What? Do you have deadly kissing powers now?" Emma played.  
  
"Very funny."  
  
"Come on, Brennan. Do you really LOVE Shal' " Jesse asked.  
  
"Yeah, please do tell," Emma chimed in.  
  
"I think so, but..."  
  
"But you're not sure?" Emma asked them.  
  
"I care about all of you, but with Shal' it's different, especially lately. Maybe it's something with feral attraction?"  
  
"Could be," Emma told Brennan.  
  
"Don't you have to have two ferals to have that kind of attraction?" Jesse asked.  
  
  
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Adam was frustrated. Shalimar was showing signs of a virus in her system. What could it be? It had to be Gabriel. What had he done to Shalimar? Adam looked back at Shalimar, she was definately pale. He looked at the vitals, "damn it!" Adam shouted angerly shoving everything to the floor with one huge crash.  
  
"Adam!" Emma shouted when she saw the mess. "What's going on?"  
  
"I'm sorry. I was just REALLY frustrated."  
  
"Maybe I can help?"  
  
"Yeah, I need you to stay watch Shalimar. I need to do some research OUTSIDE of the lab. I'm breaking too many things."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Adam hugged Emma and then kissed Shalimar's forehead. Adam left the lab quickly. Emma could tell that he wasn't telling them everything. She quickly looked into Adam's mind. He was going to Genomex. "Jesse, Brennan?"  
  
"Yeah Emma?" Brennan answered.  
  
"Can you two track Adam?"  
  
"Why?"   
  
"He's going to Genomex to find out what Gabriel did to Shalimar."  
  
"No problem."  
  
  
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Gabriel had liked the feral she had this spark he enjoyed. He still had a link to her mind. Gabriel concentrated on Shalimar and got her location. Gabriel quickly left Genomex to get Shalimar.  
  
  
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When Adam reached Genomex it was pretty empty. He approached the pods, the ones he had created to contain the monster. He stared down at Mason Eckhart's face, another monster contained only one he didn't plan on putting into stasis. Where are they? Where have they gone? "What would Gabriel want?"  
  
"Your friend," came an answer from near one of the other pods.  
  
Adam spied the scientist, "stop!" Adam yelled as he began to run. Adam went after him and knocked him down. Adam held him there. "WHO is Gabriel going after?"  
  
"The feral. Miss Fox."  
  
"What!?"  
  
"He's still linked to her."  
  
"She's sick!"  
  
"That's because he wanted her to come back to him."  
  
"She just collapsed!"  
  
"She'll be fine once Gabriel get to her."  
  
"He's going to Sanctuary?!" Adam punched the scientist. "Emma?! Brennan?! Jesse?!"  
  
"What is it, Adam?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Gabriel is on his way to Sanctuary!"  
  
"Okay. Where are you?"  
  
"Genomex. They're after Shalimar!"  
  
"What do we do?"  
  
"I need to get back as soon as possible, but all I have..."  
  
"Adam, we're above Genomex in the Double Helix."  
  
"Okay. I'll meet you outside." Adam quickly ran out of Genomex and got into the Double Helix. "Now, WHY are you here?"  
  
"Emma said that you were going to do something crazy like turn yourself over to Ashlock," Brennan explained.  
  
"Let's get home," Adam suggested.  
  
"Already on our way at the fastest speed," Jesse reported.  
  
"Adam, what are we going to do about Gabriel?"  
  
"I have a plan, but none of you are going to like it. But it's the only way to keep ALL of you safe. I won't let Gabriel destroy everything."  
  
"What plan?" Brennan asked.  
  
"Yeah, how would it upset us all so much?" Jesse asked.  
  
"I'll tell you all when we get back."  
  
  
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"Okay in order to do this...I need all of you to agree."  
  
"Agree to WHAT?" Emma asked.  
  
"We need to wake Shalimar up before you all declare that I'm insane," Adam told them as he administered some medication to Shalimar. After a few minutes her eyes opened, "come on Shalimar," Adam said helping her up.  
  
"What?..." Shalimar started.  
  
"There's no time," Adam said dragging them all to the dojo. Jesse, Brennan, Emma, and Shalimar were sitting on the stairs up to the dojo. "I have some more information that you're not going to like."  
  
"There's more?" Jesse asked obviously not happy.  
  
"I'm afraid so, Jess," Adam started pacing a little in front of the stairs. "Now you know that I made the subdermal governors and the pods, and that I did it because Gabriel was too dangerous. Well, when I built Sanctuary I also installed pods."  
  
"Pods!?" Jesse quickly shouted.  
  
"Where, Adam?" Shalimar asked.  
  
"Come here," Adam said having them all move and Adam took out a remote and pushed it. The floor under the dojo began to change. The water drained quickly out of the ponds and the floor moved to reveal a circle of five pods. "Here they are."  
  
"Why didn't you ever tell us?" Emma asked.  
  
"It wasn't important."  
  
"Why do I have a feeling that your plan has to do with those pods," Brennan said.  
  
"It does."  
  
"I'm out!" Jesse immediately said.  
  
"Jess, wait!" Shalimar said walking toward him.  
  
"I can't be in one, Shal' !"  
  
"Just wait, please."  
  
"Fine!"  
  
"So, what's the plan, Adam?" Shalimar asked.  
  
"I put all of you in a pod, I download all of the information into a disk. Erase the computers. I put the pod system on a timer and then I get into the last one with the disk. The pods will be automatically put back in place and Gabriel will never find us."  
  
"The database and everything's going to only fit on one disk?" Emma asked.  
  
"Adam, won't they get a weird thermo signature or see it if they scan?" Brennan asked.  
  
"And most importantly, once we're in and Gabriel leaves, how do we get out?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Okay, Shalimar have a question, too?" Adam asked.  
  
"No, I trust you Adam."  
  
"Well thanks. Okay, the database WILL fit on one disk however the system has a set of back-up disks. Gabriel won't be able to detect us with a thermo scan, because the cooling system will balance it out. He won't be able to just scan Sanctuary and pick it up because once it's all sealed up nothing can scan through it. Jess, don't worry, I know you're scared, but everything is going to be alright. I've sent instructions to a long time trusted friend. He has access to security and he'll know when Gabriel is gone and will let us out."  
  
"Adam, I just don't think I can do this," Jesse told him.  
  
"Jess, please."  
  
"Adam, it's not that simple."  
  
"I know you're afraid, but we need to be all together..."  
  
"Adam?" came the voice of Gabriel Ashlock. He had tapped into Sanctuary's system somehow. "I'm coming after you and your beloved children...see you soon!"  
  
"Okay, I need to know now!" Adam told them worried that Gabriel would be there soon. "Jesse? Shal' ? Brennan? Emma?"  
  
"I guess," Jesse caved, "but I have one request."  
  
"What?"  
  
"We discuss Shal' and Brennan kissing."  
  
"Hey!" Shalimar and Brennan said in unison.  
  
"Deal," Adam told Jesse.  
  
"Adam..." Shalimar complained.  
  
"What? We can't gossip? So, Shalimar what;s it going to be?"  
  
"I'm in."  
  
"Good. Brennan?"  
  
"Yeah, me too," Brennan told Adam.  
  
"Emma?"  
  
"Okay Adam."  
  
"Good. Okay Jess, you're first."  
  
"Great..." Jesse said.  
  
"We'll be right here," Shalimar told her friend.  
  
"In you go," Adam told him helping him in. Adam stopped for a second, "You'll be fine Jess."  
  
"Don't worry, Jesse," Shalimar said holding his hand.  
  
"Yeah, we'll be right here," Em added.  
  
"Okay, I think I'm ready," Jesse said closing his eyes as Adam closed the hatch and set the system.  
  
"Shalimar, you're next," Adam told her. "Take it easy," he told her as Brennan helped her into the pod.  
  
"You know this is really creepy Adam."  
  
"I know Shal' ."  
  
"See you guys, soon," Shalimar told them.  
  
"Very soon," Brennan said holding her hand and then kissed her.  
  
"Brennan!" Adam scolded. "Didn't we talk about using your new powers?" 


	3. Intruders!

Disclaimer:I do not own Mutant X, Tribune and Marvel do.  
  
  
Mutant X  
"The World's Greatest"  
Chapter 3  
  
  
  
  
Gabriel Ashlock and his group entered the Sanctuary. "Find them!" he ordered and they all fanned out looking for the five members of Mutant X. After an hour of searching the Sanctuary, Mutant X could not be found. "They're here, I can sense them!" Gabriel was frustrated. "I want someone here until we find them!" Gabriel said before storming out. "Where ARE they?" Gabriel fumed.  
  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
TWO MONTHS LATER  
  
  
  
Gabriel and the Strand people could not do anything to retrieve the files from the database that had been deleted, and they could not locate the members of Mutant X. They couldn't even find a trace of where they might have gone or where they were. "Forget it!" Gabriel shouted and had the Strand vacat Sanctuary. "They'll surface."  
  
  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
ONE WEEK LATER  
  
  
  
The pods were raised up and began to unseal. Adam was the first one out, he quickly checked the monitors to make sure everything was going okay. Adam released Jesse first. He went to help Jesse out. Jesse was still sort of out of it from being in the pod. "You okay?" Adam asked.  
  
"Yeah, I think so. How long?"  
  
"I'm not sure, yet. Let's get everyone out first."  
  
"Who's next?"  
  
"I'll release Shalimar, Emma, and Brennan at the same time. I just wanted some help, that's why I woke you up first. I need you to help get them out of the pods, okay?"   
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Good, let's start." Adam started the sequence to release the others. "Okay, they've all been released from the stasis system," Adam said joining Jesse.  
  
Jesse lifted up the hatch on Emma's pod, "hey..." Jese said when Emma opened her eyes. Jesse helped her sit up and then lifted her out. "You okay?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks Jesse," Emma said as she started to wake up.  
  
"Brennan," Adam greeted as Brennan opened his eyes.  
  
"Shal' ?"  
  
"You okay?" Adam asked.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Okay, she's last," Adam said as she walked to Shalimar's pod. He tried to release the hatch, but it wouldn't work. "It's not opening!"  
  
"What?" Emma, Jesse, and Brennan shouted together and immediately got to the pod.  
  
"Brennan, why don't you try a little jolt, maybe the clamps aren't...I don't know."  
  
"Okay, get back," Brennan warned as he hit the pod with a bolt of electricity.  
  
"It still won't open!" Adam said trying to open the hatch.  
  
"Let me try," Jesse said as he touched the hatch. "You'll have to lift her out quickly." Jesse phased and so did the hatch. Brennan and Adam pulled Shalimar out. "Is she okay?" Jesse asked when they laid her on the floor. She was still unconscious and not moving.  
  
"She's not breathing," Adam told them and began CPR.  
  
"Adam?" Emma asked panicing.  
  
"Can I help?" Brennan asked.  
  
"Low voltage," Adam told him as he continued CPR. "When I say...now!" Brennan hit Shal' with a volt of electricity. Adam checked her pulse after breathing for her. "Again!" Adam repeated the process, but it hadn't helped. "Again!" Again there was nothing.  
  
"Adam?" Brennan asked.  
  
"There's nothing more we can do. I'm sorry..." Adam said and then walked away.  
  
"Oh my god!" Emma said starting to cry and Jesse pulled her into his arms and started to cry as well.  
  
"No!" Brennan shouted and went to Shalimar's side and tried a higher voltage. Nothing.  
  
"Brennan..." Jesse said.  
  
"No! She's can't die!" Brennan shouted back and kicked it up some more. Nothing. "Please," he said as he tried it again. Shalimar began to breathe again. "Shal' !" Brennan shouted pulling her into his arms and holding her there for a few minutes.  
  
"What happened?" Shalimar asked weakly.  
  
"You died," Emma said quietly still crying a bit.  
  
"I did?"  
  
"Adam said there was nothing more he could do," Jesse told her.  
  
"Then how?"  
  
"Brennan," Emma answered.  
  
"I couldn't just let you die..." Brennan told her as she kissed him.  
  
"Okay, enough with the kissing!" Jesse told them. "It's just...TOO WEIRD!"  
  
"Let's go find Adam," Shalimar said, but her arms were pulled back by Brennan.  
  
"Hold on, Shal' You need to rest."  
  
"That may be so, but that's not the reason why you don't want me to see Adam."  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Brennan told her.  
  
"You're mad because he gave up on me."  
  
"No...well, okay...maybe."  
  
"I'm GOING to find Adam," Shalimar said defiantly and headed for the lab.  
  
  
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Adam was in the lab, he had thrown some more things on the floor when he had entered, he had been angry about losing Shalimar. The lab was a mess. "I've failed them all!" Adam said beginning to cry. "I saved them and now...and now the first child I saved has taken the life of one of my children that I think of as my own! How could I let this happen?" Adam asked himself as he sank to the floor. The doors opened and someone walked in, without even looking up Adam just yelled, "get out!" Adam heard footsteps and then the doors again. "I can't believe that I've let this happen! I'm as bad as Mason, actually worse!" Adam fumed. "I killed her! I saved Gabriel and I saved Shalimar and he killed her! Eckhart wiykd say that I'm doing his job and HE'S right!"  
  
"Don't ever say that!" came a familar voice.  
  
Adam looked up to see Shalimar standing next to the door. "Shalimar?...I'm so sor..."  
  
"Adam, it's okay. Brennan revived me," Shalimar explained approaching Adam.  
  
"No! It was too late! I'm sorry!"  
  
"Adam, I'm fine," Shalimar told him. Shalimar reached out and touched his face. "I'm REALLY here."  
  
"You're real?!" Adam cried as his eyes began to tear up. Adam pulled Shalimar to him holding her tightly.  
  
"Don't ever say you're like Eckhart, you are nothing like him, Adam!" Adam was still huging Shalimar. After a few minutes Shalimar looked at Adam, "are you going to hold onto me forever?"  
  
"You think I'm going to let you go?"  
  
"I hope so," Shalimar said half laughing noticing that Adam was being more like usual.  
  
"Let's go see the others?" Adam suggested releasing Shalimar from his hug and just putting his arm over her shoulder. They walked out to find the others.  
  
  
  
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	4. The World's Greatest

Disclaimer:I do not own Mutant X, Marvel and Tribune do. I also do not own "The World's Greatest," R. Kelly does. : )  
  
  
Mutant X  
"The World's Greatest"  
Chapter 4  
  
  
"So, what do we do now?" Brennan asked as Shalimar and Adam joined the group in the garden area.  
  
"Well, I promised Jesse that we would discuss you and Shalimar kissing," Adam said.  
  
"Don't I get a request since I got stuck in one of the pods?" Shalimar asked.  
  
"I suppose that's fair," Adam decided.  
  
"I request that we don't have a group discussion about Brennan and I kissing earlier," Shalimar told them.  
  
"I agree!" Brennan added.  
  
"Come on, Shal' ! We can't talk about Brennan's new powers?" Emma said.  
  
"I DON'T have deadly kissing powers!" Brennan told them frustrated.  
  
"Well, maybe not deadly anyway," Shalimar said and everyone smiled.  
  
"Thanks, Shal' ," Brennan said. "Adam, why did Gabriel say that we were your children?"  
  
"BELOVED children, to be exact," Jesse said.  
  
"I suppose it's because that's what I think of all of you as. I think of ALL the children of Genomex as my children. You four most of all, you ARE the world's greatest," Adam told them huging them all.  
  
"So, what do we do?" Shalimar asked.  
  
"Travel?" Adam answered.  
  
"Where?" Jesse asked.  
  
"Westchester? Europe maybe?"  
  
"Wherever we go, we'll be together," Brennan said as he put his arm around Shalimar.  
  
"That's all that counts," Adam told them.  
  
"We stick together," Jesse said.  
  
"Because we're a family," Emma added.  
  
"And no one will seperate us," Adam said.  
  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
  
  
I am a mountain, I am a tall tree, oh  
I am a swift wind sweepin' the country  
I am a river down in the valley, oh  
I am a vision and I can see clearly  
  
If anybody asks you who I am  
Just stand up tall  
Look'em in the face and say  
  
I'm that star up in the sky  
I'm that mountain peak up high  
Hey, I made it  
I'm the world's greatest  
And I'm that little bit of hope  
When my back's against ropes  
I can feel it  
I'm the world's greatest  
  
I am a giant, I am an eagle, oh  
I am a lion, down in the jungle  
I am a marchin' band, I am the people, oh  
I am a helping hand, I am a hero  
  
  
_______________________________________________________________________  
  
THE END OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST  
  
Author's Notes: If you don't understand when Adam suggests Westchester, then you might want to read GOING BACK TO SCHOOL. If you like this story and would like me to continue please either e-mail me or say so in the review. So, where should they go for a while to get away from Gabriel? Westchester, New York or go away to Europe. : )  
Thanks for everyone who has been reading and reviewing!  
  
innocent choir girl 


End file.
